There is a keen anticipation around the England squad right now. Firstly,
there is a Six Nations fast approaching, but beyond that is the magic of a
Lions tour.

There is a nice left-field element to the Lions that I know all about, and that is the uncapped player who travels. I am proud to say that in 1997 I got the chance to go to South Africa. I am sure Leicester’s run in the Heineken Cup was what got me selected, even though it took a lot to convince Jim Telfer that I could play. I remain the last uncapped player to go, though I am sure I won’t be the final one even if the number of international matches now played every year means that more caps are handed out by all the Home Nations.

They now play 10 to 12 internationals a year, or as many as 17 in a World Cup year, so it is harder to come in under the radar.

Firstly, the forwards. The wonderful dog-and-mongrel show against New Zealand has set up a few lads for a summer away.

Alex Corbisiero and Chris Robshaw are looking good. Tom Wood just wants to stay injury free and his versatility should help him out. Tom Youngs was an outstanding ball carrier up front and now gives Dylan Hartley genuine competition up front. I think many had Geoff Parling down as a safe option for England but not a Lion. However, Paul O’Connell’s race against time with his back operation might help the extra second rowers.

From France, Andrew Sheridan is staying fit and playing regularly in Toulon, while Steffon Armitage has been magnificent again. Closer to home, Ed Slater at Leicester is a tough lad, who has played in the back row and muscles up nicely in the second row. He is very mobile and would suit the harder ground as summer approaches.

But the big mover in more ways than one is Billy Vunipola, the Wasps No8. He is a young lad whose error count last year was too high and his fitness not good enough. Now he looks like a man, and a big, big one at that. He is an outstanding ball carrier, and he has great hands. His discipline has improved enormously and he has remained very explosive, in a good way. He is not super fit yet, but looking like someone you would consider at international level. The No8 slot is not nailed down for England despite Ben Morgan putting in a strong game against New Zealand. Billy is still in this.

In the backs, again the All Blacks game threw things wide open and players such as Mike Brown and Alex Goode have made their case for inclusion. They are two who are outstanding week-in week-out for their clubs but two who our Celtic brethren would have given scant chance of pulling on the Lions shirt at the start of the autumn. They may not have many caps, but have an excellent chance of making the tour.

Jonathan Joseph is a wonderful gain-line breaker with quick feet, real pace and a low error count. But with Jonathan Davies, Manu Tuilagi, and Brian O’Driscoll all ahead of him and keen on the 13 shirt it could prove difficult.

Most wild-card talk will tend to revolve around Freddie Burns. He showed he is not afraid to have a go against the All Blacks, one fizzing pass put men in space and he stood flat and went at it. But I want to go deep left field with this one, especially as in the midst of a Six Nations or Lions tour you may suddenly need players with the ability to be dropped into a team and connect. They have to be able to play what is in front of them, to back themselves, to be outstanding at their own basics.

In this sense, the best fit is Luke Arscott of Exeter. Outstanding every time he takes the field and someone who had two huge opportunities over the last two weeks as Exeter played Clermont and Leinster, two of the best sides in Europe. Basically, they were Test matches in a club jersey and he looked comfortable in both.

He is safe under a high ball, much fitter than he was and he has changed his shape. He has gas, too. And even when Exeter got thumped by Clermont at home, he would still have made it into a combined team. Away at Scarlets he created a brilliant angle to set up the Haydn Thomas try. He has genuine class up his sleeve.